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Saturday, October 29, 2011

I'll be 'doggone if I wouldn't work all day, baby

Players in our charity football underdog prediction game, don't forget that your pick for the week is due at 10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time tomorrow. It's a wild week, with three double-digit 'dogs and three at 9.5. Somebody's bound to get healthy or richer.

Readers, has anybody got some advice on which of these underdogs (in caps) can win its game outright, without the benefit of the point spread?

Comments (4)

Mojo's "Best Bets"

Sunday morning, in a rush to go outside & play edition.

Best Bets

DALLAS (+3) at Philadelphia -- Could be the last weeks of the Andy Reid era. Dallas finally emerging on offense with RB DeMarco Murray and WR/KR Dez Bryant breakin' out bigtime. DeMarcus Ware a devastating defensive lineman and one of the top 3 in the NFL right now. Eagles mainly a 2-man offense. MIchael Vick's character transplant still holding up well.

PITTSBURGH (+3) vs. New England -- New England's defense weaker than Pittsburgh's. Steelers offensive weapons better than New England's overall. Steeler's great NT Casey "Big Snack" Hampton back to stuff the run and the young Steelers DLs Ziggy Hood & Cameron Heywood really playing well and inspired. Patriots OL not up to their usual standards. Roethlisberger a match for Brady today with TE Heath Miller, WRs Wallace, Sanders & Brown, and RBs out of the backfield. Special teams and turnovers could be the difference. Can you spell Polamalu? Game of the Day.

MINNESOTA (+3.5) at Carolina -- Minnesota a better all-around team and finally coming out of its collective funk. Ponder can make the Panthers respect the pass, opening up the field for Adrian Petersen to run wild. Cam Newton can't rush for enough touchdowns himself to beat the Vikings today. Looking forward to Vikes DL Jared Allen introducing himself to the rookie QB. Worth watching.

Upset Special

INDIANAPOLIS (+9.5) at Tennessee -- Had to pick somebody this week. The Colts have the best chance to pull off a big upset, facing a divisional opponent that they know well, just down the road in Nashville. Tennessee having troubles, playing very inconsistent. Though Indy wounded, they're still a super-professional organization and can manufacture wins. The desperation has passed, the shock is over. They're focused and prepared, having settled on a QB now for a couple weeks. If they can manage to keep Chris Johnson to under 100 yards rushing, they'll have a good chance. And, if it's a close game, it might give the Occupy Nashville folks a 3-hour reprieve from police brutality.

Gambler's Corner --

WASHINGTON (+6) at Buffalo (in Toronto) -- While Buffalo doesn't seem to fare well in those games across the bridge in Toronto, they know that if they keep winning, they're in the driver's seat in their division and the AFC. Washington could pull it off if Beck doesn't toss any picks and the Black-and-White-Redmen can somehow, with second & third stringers, rush for enough yards to hold onto the ball for at least 35 mins.

MIAMI (+10) at New York Giants -- Do you really think that with all of the turmoil swirling around the coach (who's a fired man walking) and with their co-lead in the Andrew Luck Derby, that the Dolphins are going to go north in the wake of a historic snowstorm and win? It could happen accidentally, though, because the Giants are schizoid and play badly against bad teams.

ARIZONA (+13) at Baltimore -- After the Ravens primetime self-embarrassment on Monday night, Ray Lewis and the homicidal maniacs in Baltimore will only ease up a little on Arizona in the end because the Cardinals uniforms are the same colors as the Red Cross nurses'.

ST. LOUIS (+14.5) vs New Orleans -- More likely that the City of Portland will turn over its Urban Redevelopment Authority to the Occupy Portland campers.

P.S. -- It was a close call in choosing Minnesota game as a "Best Bet" rather than KANSAS CITY at home in Arrowhead Stadium vs. San Diego. That's a smart udog pick, too. Just beware that it's going to be a nice weather day there (sunny & 64), so one of the big advantages of playing at home in Arrowhead is missing. However, it IS a Monday Night Football game AND it's on Halloween Night! The crowd will be frenzied.

Road Work

Miles run year to date: 156
At this date last year: 225
Total run in 2014: 401
In 2013: 257
In 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269